Dumbbell Powell Raise
What Is the Dumbbell Powell Raise?
Dumbbell Powell Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, with the rear deltoid doing most of the work and the middle deltoid, the rotator cuff and the muscles that pull the shoulder blade back assisting. It is an intermediate-level movement, done one arm at a time while lying on your side on an incline bench, which takes momentum out of the lift but asks you to stay balanced and stacked on the bench.
The dumbbell starts hanging in front of your chest and travels out and up in an arc until the arm points at the ceiling. Relative to your torso, that is the same job the rear deltoid does in a Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly, but the bench supports your body instead of a bent-over hinge, so your lower back stays out of it and you can focus on one shoulder at a time. Lifters use it to add rear deltoid and upper back work, and it often sits in shoulder-care routines next to external rotation exercises.
Some sources call the Powell raise a side deltoid exercise and others a rear deltoid exercise. The rear deltoid is the main muscle that pulls the arm back and out in this plane, and the middle deltoid helps throughout, so both are working. Gravity resists the dumbbell most when your arm is level with the floor and hardly at all once it points straight up, which makes the middle of the range the hardest part of each rep. The low incline shown here tilts your torso head-up, so the arm finishes slightly above shoulder line relative to your body, and a flat bench version follows the same pattern.
The exercise suits lifters who already handle a Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise and want a stricter one-arm option, and anyone whose lower back tires in a bent-over position. Loads stay light, so it usually goes near the end of an upper-body or shoulder session in higher rep ranges. If you are new to rear deltoid work, start with the Band Face Pull or with this movement using no weight. A slow tempo helps you feel the back of the shoulder doing the work rather than the neck.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Infraspinatus
- Medium
- Lower Trapezius
- Medium
- Rhomboid Major
- Medium
- Teres Minor
- Low
- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Minimal
- Upper Trapezius
- Minimal
Instructions
- Set an adjustable bench to a low incline of about 30 degrees.
- Lie on your left side on the bench with your hips near the lower end, your legs extended and your feet staggered on the floor for balance.
- Fold your bottom arm under your head as a pillow and let the bottom hand rest over the front edge of the bench.
- Hold a light dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing your body, letting the arm hang down in front of your chest below the edge of the bench with a soft bend in the elbow.
- Stack your hips and shoulders, brace your core, and set your top shoulder blade back and down.
- Raise the dumbbell out and up in an arc, keeping the elbow angle fixed, until your arm points straight at the ceiling above your shoulder.
- Pause briefly at the top without shrugging or letting your torso roll back.
- Lower the dumbbell slowly along the same arc to the start.
- Complete your reps, then switch sides and repeat with the left arm.
Common Mistakes
Going too heavy
A heavy dumbbell on a long arm forces you to swing and shrug, so the shoulder takes more strain and the rear deltoid does less of the work.
Shrugging the shoulder
Hiking the shoulder toward the ear shifts the effort to the upper trapezius and neck instead of the back of the shoulder.
Rolling the torso back
Letting the hips and chest rotate backward to finish the rep uses body movement to lift the weight and takes tension off the shoulder.
Bending the elbow on the way up
Bending the arm as you lift shortens the lever and makes the rep easier, so keep the same soft elbow bend from start to finish.
Raising past vertical
Taking the arm past straight up lets the dumbbell pull it behind your body, which stresses the front of the shoulder instead of working the rear deltoid.
Dropping the weight
Letting the dumbbell fall back to the start skips the controlled lowering phase and jerks the shoulder at the bottom of the arc.
Injuries
Dumbbell Powell Raise is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The dumbbell sits at the end of a long, nearly straight arm, so even a small jump in weight puts a lot of extra load on the rear deltoid and rotator cuff. Most problems come from going too heavy, shrugging the shoulder toward the ear, or letting the arm drift past vertical, which can strain the back of the shoulder, irritate the front of the shoulder or tighten up the neck. Lying on your side also presses on the bottom shoulder, which some people find uncomfortable.
Use a light dumbbell, keep the elbow angle fixed, stop when the arm points straight at the ceiling and lower slowly. Rest your head on your bottom arm or a folded towel so the bottom shoulder is not jammed into the bench, and keep your hips and shoulders stacked so the torso does not roll to help.
To make it easier, do the movement with no weight, or switch to the Band Face Pull or Dumbbell Side-Lying Shoulder External Rotation for gentler rotator cuff work. To progress, slow the lowering phase and add a short pause with the arm level with the floor before adding weight.
Stop the set if you feel sharp or pinching pain at the front or top of the shoulder, pain in the bottom shoulder that does not ease when you adjust your position, or numbness or tingling down the arm. If you have a recent rotator cuff injury or ongoing shoulder pain, get cleared by a medical professional before loading this movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Why does the top of the rep feel so easy?
Gravity resists the dumbbell most when your arm is level with the floor, out in front of your chest, and hardly at all once it points at the ceiling. That is normal for this exercise, so put your effort into a slow, controlled middle range rather than chasing a heavier dumbbell to make the top harder.
- Q: Should I pull my shoulder blade back at the top?
Yes, keep it set back and down from the first rep to the last. In a study of collegiate baseball players holding a 9.1 kg dumbbell straight up while lying on their side, pulling the shoulder blade back toward the spine lowered middle deltoid activity and, with the arm just in front of vertical, more than doubled lower trapezius activity compared with reaching the arm up, so the setup trains the muscles that control the shoulder blade along with the deltoid. Never let the shoulder roll forward or shrug up to finish the rep.
- Q: How heavy should the dumbbell be?
Light enough that you can stop the arm at the top without shrugging and lower it slowly. Higher reps, around 12 to 20 per set, suit this exercise better than heavy sets.
- Q: What bench angle should I use?
A low incline of about 30 degrees, as shown here, keeps you stable while lifting your torso slightly so the arm finishes a little above shoulder line. A flat bench works the same muscles if you do not have an adjustable bench.
- Q: What can I do if lying on my side is uncomfortable?
Rest your head on your bottom arm or a folded towel so the bottom shoulder is not pressed into the bench. If it still bothers you, the chest-supported Dumbbell Reverse Fly trains the rear deltoid without lying on your side.